Passion is a force multiplier for achievement.
Impassioned team members do what it takes to get the job done. Results soar when passion finds its way into a team’s everyday tasks. The effect of passion is further magnified when like-minded colleagues converge around a common purpose or vision.
Unfortunately, team member passion is rare in some organizations.
Too many team members are emotionally disengaged and dread the daily tasks they face in the workplace. Unfulfilled team members drag down team performance when they go through the motions of doing their work and become a drain on team resources and energy. Leaders who accept the casualty of a few disengaged team members will soon find the number growing.
Leaders who want to ignite the flame of passion within their team have several tools at their disposal. In the contemporary workplace, the need for a higher calling, purpose, or meaning becomes ever more important to team members. Leaders who work hard to describe and showcase the bigger “Why” behind the work benefit from more engaged and passionate colleagues.
Telling others why their work really matters is not enough. The best leaders create opportunities for team members to see the influence they have on those they serve.
Equally powerful is the idea of connecting colleagues throughout the organization who share similar passions, both professional and personal.
Leaders who create a small community of passion by bringing together like-minded colleagues can ignite an ongoing conversation full of energy and enthusiasm. Those who share similar passions feed off of each other, creating the animation needed for full engagement in whatever they do. This passion is contagious and soon affects others.
The best leaders are always looking for ways to connect people who share similar interests and passions. From analytics to graphic design, from singing to marathon running, leaders who learn of team member passions and link them to others with similar affections galvanize more passion throughout the organization. Team members bound by excitement get everyone more engaged.
